This year MTV is letting the fans decide who the nominees are for the VMA's! Voting is now open for the Best New Artist and Best Dancing In A Video categories. Make sure to go to vma.mtv.com to vote for The Pipettes' videos for "Because It's Not Love" and "Pull Shapes" now! Voting closes Wednesday 8/6 at 11 AM EST.

This year MTV isletting the fans decide who the nominees are for the VMA’s! Voting opens todayfor the Best Hip-Hop and Pop Video categories. Make sure to go to vma.mtv.comto vote for The Pipettes‘s videos “Because It's Not Love...” and "Pull Shapes" in the Pop category.  Voting closes Wednesday 7/30 at 11 AMEST.

The Pipettes
June 14, 2007
Chop Suey
Better Than: Spice World, the Phil Spector trial on Court TV, or most anything else one could have been doing on a Thursday night in Seattle.

"You are so talented! You are so beautiful! I LOVE YOU!!!!" So shouted the Pipettes' self-proclaimed "biggest gay fan in the world," from the middle of the capacity all-ages crowd at Chop Suey, just a few songs into the British pop septet's hour-long set. Based on the huge amount of smiles, sweat, and shimmying going on for the duration, he spoke for pretty much everyone — gay, straight, tween, senior — there to see the Pipettes wrap up their inaugural U.S. tour with their first-ever visit to Seattle.

If you happened to read my Pipettes feature in this week's issue, or you're just on top of the latest U.K. musical exports, you know that the group — polka-dot-clad singers Gwenno, Rosay, and RiotBecki, plus their all-male backing band (guitarist and Pipettes co-founder "Monster Bobby," plus a drummer, bassist, and keyboardist) known as the Cassettes — essentially put a modern twist on the Phil Spector/Joe Meek-helmed girl-group sound of the late '50s and early '60s (think the Ronettes, the Shangri-Las, etc., crossed with Bananarama and the Spice Girls). Although their full-length debut, We Are the Pipettes, is a blast to listen to, I was curious if the whole thing would really work in a live setting, or crumble under the weight of the concept.

I'm thrilled to say the Pipettes far exceeded my hopes, coming off charming rather than cloying, pure fun rather than purely formulaic. Bounding onstage at 11 p.m., Gwenno (the "glamour girl," in a figure-hugging mini-dress), Rosay (the "punkish girl," in a ruffled number), and Becki (the "naughty librarian," rockin' a sort of '80s ensemble) took their places side by side at the very front, while the Cassettes — sporting matching monogrammed yellow sweater vests but otherwise looking like your average indie-rockers — settled into the shadows way at the back of the stage. With plenty of sass and more spunk than the cheerleading championships on ESPN2, the ladies led the group through 19 songs in 60 minutes; the math tells you each was a three-minute pop gem.

Their "big gay fan" was right: the Pipettes looked hot, and in more ways than one — by the fourth tune, "Your Kisses Are Wasted on Me" (also the title of their brand-new, U.S.-only EP), the ladies were coated with sweat from all the classic, choreographed girl-group dance moves and the frolicking around the stage. And they're hella talented — their vocals, particularly the harmonies, were spot-on perfect. So were the Cassettes, who didn't interact at all with the singers save for some shared grins here and there, but gave the songs depth and even more life with their spry, tight playing.

The Pipettes saved the best for last, winding up with "Judy," "One Night Stand," "Dirty Mind," and their biggest hit to date, "Pull Shapes," for which they brought out openers Smoosh to jump around and dance along with them, then returned to close out the festivities with their theme song, "We Are the Pipettes."

Reporter's Notebook
Personal Bias: Yep, they're hot. And photogenic.
Random Detail: Outside the tour bus after the show, the ladies (in civilian, sans-polka-dots attire) graciously chatted with a handful of fans, posed for photos, autographed posters and biceps, and said they're planning on coming back to town in the fall. At one point, two of the Cassettes exited the bus — one fan tried to engage them by asking if they were British, too, to which they gruffly replied "Yes," then scurried down the street, prompting the fan to yell after them, "Way to reinforce stereotypes!"
By the way: Did anyone catch the Pipettes at their in-store at Sonic Boom in Ballard yesterday? I'm curious how all seven were able to wedge in there, not to mention pull off all the dance moves...

The Pipettes
June 14, 2007
Chop Suey
Better Than: Spice World, the Phil Spector trial on Court TV, or most anything else one could have been doing on a Thursday night in Seattle.

"You are so talented! You are so beautiful! I LOVE YOU!!!!" So shouted the Pipettes' self-proclaimed "biggest gay fan in the world," from the middle of the capacity all-ages crowd at Chop Suey, just a few songs into the British pop septet's hour-long set. Based on the huge amount of smiles, sweat, and shimmying going on for the duration, he spoke for pretty much everyone — gay, straight, tween, senior — there to see the Pipettes wrap up their inaugural U.S. tour with their first-ever visit to Seattle.

If you happened to read my Pipettes feature in this week's issue, or you're just on top of the latest U.K. musical exports, you know that the group — polka-dot-clad singers Gwenno, Rosay, and RiotBecki, plus their all-male backing band (guitarist and Pipettes co-founder "Monster Bobby," plus a drummer, bassist, and keyboardist) known as the Cassettes — essentially put a modern twist on the Phil Spector/Joe Meek-helmed girl-group sound of the late '50s and early '60s (think the Ronettes, the Shangri-Las, etc., crossed with Bananarama and the Spice Girls). Although their full-length debut, We Are the Pipettes, is a blast to listen to, I was curious if the whole thing would really work in a live setting, or crumble under the weight of the concept.

I'm thrilled to say the Pipettes far exceeded my hopes, coming off charming rather than cloying, pure fun rather than purely formulaic. Bounding onstage at 11 p.m., Gwenno (the "glamour girl," in a figure-hugging mini-dress), Rosay (the "punkish girl," in a ruffled number), and Becki (the "naughty librarian," rockin' a sort of '80s ensemble) took their places side by side at the very front, while the Cassettes — sporting matching monogrammed yellow sweater vests but otherwise looking like your average indie-rockers — settled into the shadows way at the back of the stage. With plenty of sass and more spunk than the cheerleading championships on ESPN2, the ladies led the group through 19 songs in 60 minutes; the math tells you each was a three-minute pop gem.

Their "big gay fan" was right: the Pipettes looked hot, and in more ways than one — by the fourth tune, "Your Kisses Are Wasted on Me" (also the title of their brand-new, U.S.-only EP), the ladies were coated with sweat from all the classic, choreographed girl-group dance moves and the frolicking around the stage. And they're hella talented — their vocals, particularly the harmonies, were spot-on perfect. So were the Cassettes, who didn't interact at all with the singers save for some shared grins here and there, but gave the songs depth and even more life with their spry, tight playing.

The Pipettes saved the best for last, winding up with "Judy," "One Night Stand," "Dirty Mind," and their biggest hit to date, "Pull Shapes," for which they brought out openers Smoosh to jump around and dance along with them, then returned to close out the festivities with their theme song, "We Are the Pipettes."

Reporter's Notebook
Personal Bias: Yep, they're hot. And photogenic.
Random Detail: Outside the tour bus after the show, the ladies (in civilian, sans-polka-dots attire) graciously chatted with a handful of fans, posed for photos, autographed posters and biceps, and said they're planning on coming back to town in the fall. At one point, two of the Cassettes exited the bus — one fan tried to engage them by asking if they were British, too, to which they gruffly replied "Yes," then scurried down the street, prompting the fan to yell after them, "Way to reinforce stereotypes!"
By the way: Did anyone catch the Pipettes at their in-store at Sonic Boom in Ballard yesterday? I'm curious how all seven were able to wedge in there, not to mention pull off all the dance moves...

Retro Pipettes are built to last
By Shilpa Ganatra/ Across the Pond
Sunday, June 3, 2007

Forget brand identity. Band identity is where it’s at - and there’s no better example than the Pipettes.

This U.K. girl group wore its heart on its sleeve when it named its debut “We Are the Pipettes” - and that sleeve was probably clothed in the ’50s-style polka dot dress that’s now become synonymous with the unmistakable trio.

Yet despite the kookiness, the newest member, Gwenno, dismisses any idea of the Pipettes as a novelty.

“It never really enters our mind, because although we have fun, we take the music quite seriously,” she says from her home in the UK’s unofficial capital of cool, Brighton. “We certainly wouldn’t have lasted so long if we were just a flash-in-the-pan act.”

The lady makes a sound point. The band began way back in 2003, even though it’s only starting to get discovered in the United States. The Pipettes bop into Great Scott for a Fenway Recordings show tomorrow, the day before their “Your Kisses Are Wasted on Me” EP drops stateside on Interscope.

Four years ago their now-manager and backing band member Monster Bobby and founding member Julia saw a gap in the musical market for a retro girl group. (And to think - Amy Winehouse hadn’t even arrived yet!)

They recruited Becki (the one with glasses) and Rosay (the brunette) from the Brighton scene, perfected their harmonies and made some real headway in the UKscene, supporting the likes of the Magic Numbers and the Go! Team, which is about when Gwenno (the blonde one) came on board.

“When I saw them, I thought they were amazing,” she enthuses. “It was exactly what I thought pop music should be and exactly what I thought was missing from the current music scene. I got talking to them afterward and found out Julia was leaving, so I auditioned - and the rest is history!”

Slowly evolving history.

“It’s been a lovely way in hindsight because we haven’t gone from playing to no one to playing Wembley Arena,” Gwenno says. “We’ve taken it one step at a time. That’s given us time not only to develop, but also we’ve been able to get our heads around the concept, so there hasn’t been any enlarged egos.

“Plus,” she adds, “it means that when we go to the States, we don’t have the expectations that we would if we’d had a No. 1 album across Europe. We’ve never been in or out of fashion. We’re not expecting to be flavor of the month. As long as people come to see us, we’re happy.”

Now the Pipettes are making their second visit to the States.

“We played three gigs the first time, in New York, at South by Southwest and a gig in L.A. as well,” Gwenno says. “They were all fab. The crowds are much more enthusiastic. They take no time to start bopping about, which is great because that’s what were all about.”

The flipside of touring America, however, is van life.

“In a lot of ways, I’m a different person than I was when I started touring,” she says. “I’m now used to being completely disgusting. My hygiene standards are so low now. What you see on stage is just an illusion. But you’ll be OK as long as you don’t come too close!”

The Pipettes, with Smoosh, Monster Bobby and DJ Carbo, tomorrow at Great Scott, Allston. Tickets: $12; 617-566-9014, www.greatscottboston.com.

The Pipettes

Their first disc won't be available in the United States until tomorrow, but the Pipettes performed to a sold-out Black Cat on Saturday night -- not surprising, since the group has been the subject of Internet hype since it formed in 2003. Live with a backup band, the all-female singing trio from Brighton lived up to its throwback-to-1960s girl-group reputation, with peppy harmonies, matching polka-dot dresses, and choreographed gestures. They gave that retro sound a modern flair by broaching all the raunchy subjects you always imagined the Shangri-Las discussed behind closed doors, from no-strings-attached romance ("One Night Stand") to mistreating their boyfriends ("Why Did You Stay?").

Their performance was just as enchanting as their infectious songs are on record: The knowing glances they shared as they bopped around the stage conveyed the sisterly camaraderie that their songs imply. More impressively, they shared vocal duties seamlessly, with Gwenno's strong lead on "Pull Shapes" melding with Rosay and RiotBecki's interspersed lines.

As expected from a group whose recorded sound is so crisp, many of the group's vocal nuances lost their precision in the live setting. The sassy "Your Kisses Are Wasted on Me" was marred by RiotBecki's weak lead vocals and Gwenno's muffled countermelodies. But for this bubbly trio, vocal exactness was less important than liveliness, and their short-and-sweet pop tunes (20 in just under an hour) captured the trio's carefree spirit and delightful energy.

-- Catherine P. Lewis